From our house you can see a number of mountains and, almost inevitably, it has become a bit of a goal of ours to ‘top’ each one of them. One of the smallest is Craig y Garn (at 363 metres/1,191 feet) which, on a clear day of course, we can see above Porthmadog as we look across the estuary. We found a route to the top in a small book called “Snowdonia – Park Rangers Favourite Walks” (which itself has 20 different walks and may also become a bit of a ‘challenge’).
So it was that on 21st November 2021, Jude and I walked to the top from the village of Garndolbenmaen. As you will see, you don’t have to climb too high in Wales to get magnificent panoramic, 360 degree views. Plus, of course, if we can see the top from home, you should be able to see our house from the top. And if you zoom in on photo no. 9, you may be able to make out a white house on the far side of the estuary – above the lowest point of the ‘V’ between the two hills (slightly left of centre).
Shortly after we arrived in Wales, Jude and I drove over to the Lleyn peninsular (that’s the bit of the mainland which sticks out into the Irish Sea at the top of Wales – not to be confused with the island of Anglesey of course). We went for a walk around the Porthdinthlaen peninsular, near Morfa Nefyn.
Apart from having a very beautiful coastline, it’s where you will find the renowned Morfa Nefyn golf course (which I have not played yet, but hope to soon) and what is reputed to be one of the top 10 best beach bars in the world – the Tŷ Coch Inn. It’s certainly in a wonderful spot, with views across the sea to a range of mountains called Yr Eifl (more generally referred to as The Rivals in English). I would happily have stopped for a pint or three but, since it was a beautiful day and half term school holidays, the beach was extremely busy and there was a queue several yards long. 😌 Nevertheless, it was a wonderful walk.
Note: All of these photos were taken on 25th October 2021.
Firstly a very happy and hopefully very healthy new year to all my followers and a special thanks to all of you who have commented over the past 12 months, it is very much appreciated as I’m sure you all know.
So to the, well my, answers to all those images (repeated below in case you missed my original post), with a little explanation in case you don’t ‘see’ it:
Is obviously a fish – and many commented that it was an Angel fish, which is even more precise. I was pleased that the, albeit quite large, stone was in the right place, making it look a bit like one of those from the deep. The gaping mouth added to the drama!
A tricky one this, which some may have thought was a squirrel and I’d go with that, but I initially though it looked like a deer running away to the left, with its butt in the air. There are two small antlers too, to the top left, so that was my answer.
As soon as I saw this in the sand and maybe it was because we’re now living in Wales and I was hoping to find one, that I thought it was a dragon, breathing fire out of its mouth to the top right and a claw off to the left. But I can also see a lady’s dress.
Again, this ‘spoke’ to me immediately as a roadrunner. My thoughts went back to my youth and all of those wonderful Looney Tunes, with Bugs Bunny (my favourite) and the hapless, but very inventive, Wile E Coyote always failing to catch the Roadrunner. Beep, beep!
Another fairly obvious one which many people got – definitely a scorpion.
Less obvious was what I thought looked like a horse (one of two in this list). It reminded me of one of those sit-on horses on a merry-go-round at the fair, with it’s head in the air and feet never quite touching the ground.
Perhaps the easiest of them all, with it being a rather chic (perhaps Christian Dior?) dress. Maybe the beach is where they got some of their inspiration!
Not so clear is the jellyfish. Perhaps a little bit manufactured to get into this quiz, but at least one person spotted it. Well done Brian!
In the same vane, this horse was not so obvious – particularly with it’s tiny head. but it reminded me of one on those ancient cave paintings, where the perspective is not quite right.
A little clearer was the goose or duck or swan. Again the white ‘eye’ was already there…
…as it was in this image, which looks like a shark to me, but could be many sorts of fish I suppose.
Last but not least was what I thought was a squirrel, with its little legs running off to the right and bushy tail dragging behind.
I hope you enjoyed this little quiz. I think it’s amazing what nature conjures up!
While you ponder on my Christmas quiz, let me take you for a little walk along the Wales Coast Path… Although it doesn’t actually go by our house, it comes pretty close, like within 300 yards/metres, so it seemed an obvious choice for me to do – or at least a short section of it. The full route is 870 miles (1,400 km) long but, heading south from where we live, this section is ‘only’ about 13 miles (21 km).
These pictures were taken in early November and, as you will see, the weather was fine and it takes in some fabulous scenery, not to mention ‘my’ golf course, which has been taking up some of my time and keeping me away from my walking and blogging duties. (Sorry about that folks!)
I didn’t meet many people on the route, but I did stop to help a man fit a new letter box. My task was to hold the box in place while he fitted and tightened the nuts and bolts. A fine job he/we did I think you will agree. (See pic 13). 😊
Further to my post on Christmas Eve, my thanks to those who have already commented but, in case you are still trying to work them out, below are some possible answers to match up with the images. I’ve posted them all again below, so that you will have everything in one place. And, since I’ve just realised that I missed a couple pictures, there are now two more for you to puzzle over!!
However, be warned, I’ve only given you 11 possible answers to the 12 pictures – so one of the answers appears twice, but I’m not going to tell you which one. (I’m such a tease!)
Anyway, here are my ‘answers’ and I’ll publish which I think belongs to each image later in the week.
Scorpion
Horse
Goose
Dress
Shark
Dragon
Deer
Squirrel
Fish
Roadrunner
Jellyfish
So, just let me know what you think images 1, 2, 3 etc, are… E.g. 1 Squirrel, 2 Scorpion, etc. etc.
Lastly, remember, there are no ‘right’ answers (and please do let me know if you are convinced one of them is something not in the above list) plus, of course, it’s only a bit of fun!
Well, it’s that time of year when (hopefully) you will be meeting up with family and friends and, as I hinted at in my previous post, I thought I would set you a little challenge to keep you and the little ones entertained.
So, there are no ‘right’ answers here, as it’s open to everyone’s view of the world, but the following images ‘speak’ to me in a certain way and all of them look like something (like an animal or object). Of course, I could make it much easier for you by giving you some possible answers but, for now, I’ll let you decide what you think each one is. Depending upon the number of comments that I get, I may repost this in a few days time with ‘my list’ for you to choose from.
Answers/comments by this time next week please, when I will reveal my view of the world, but in the meantime, if you celebrate this time of year, or anyway, have a very merry Christmas and a wonderful, safe and healthy, new year. 🎅🎄
If there is one thing that blogging helps to do in this strange world we currently live in, it’s to take people away from whatever situation or location they are in at the moment and transport them to another part of the world. So let me take you far away…
When the rain and gloomy, grey skies go away, Jude and I are in the habit of going for a walk along one of our local beaches. We’ve been to our favourite, Benar beach, twice recently; once on the 5th December, when it was a little cloudy and very windy and again yesterday, when it was almost perfectly still and the skies were completely blue.
Below are two separate galleries, showing some of my best images from those two walks. (Yes, I’m like a London bus, you don’t see a post for ages and then 2 come along at once!)
In the first gallery, you may note that I turned one of my pictures of “the hand” upside down and (at least to my eyes) one hand (pic 9) looked concave, into the sand, (as it really was), effectively holding the stone, while the other picture (no. 10) looked convex, seemingly coming out of the sand. I know this is a trick of the eyes (and I just looked at them again and it was the other way around!) See what you think.
Maybe it’s just me but I’m always spotting shapes in either the sand or the seaweed and picture 4 in the second gallery shouts ‘fish’ to me (even to having an eye in the right place). I’d be interested to know if you also see it and/or do the same. I have in mind to do a Christmas (picture) Quiz called “Name that creature”!
If you like nature and/or steam railways, this is a post for you. 😊 Please read on…
Many people, in the UK at least, will be aware of the narrow gauge railways which were once used to ferry slate from the mines and quarries in North Wales to Porthmadog for onward shipment around the world. Some of those historic steam trains are now being used by the Ffestiniog and Welsh Mountain Railways to take holidaymakers from Porthmadog to either Caernarfon or the old mines themselves at Blaenau Ffestiniog. However, not many, including me before I went on this walk, will know that the area is also noted for some of the last Atlantic oak woods in Europe.
The Coedydd Maentwrog Nature Reserve is described as one of Wales’s “rainforests” and, like all rainforests, is considered of global importance. Conditions here are perfect for the growth of 200 (yes, that’s two hundred) species of mosses and liverworts and 120 sorts of lichen. (Who knew that there were that many on the planet, let alone in one small wood in the corner of North Wales and how do the experts distinguish the difference? 🤔) In addition the woods are home to over 286 different kinds of small moth and the area is the UK stronghold of the rare Lesser Horseshoe bat. (The numbers are truly amazing, don’t you think?!)
In the gallery below, I’ve captured a few images of some moss and lichen as well as some flowers but I’ll leave you to work out what sort they might be. 🤔
As for the route, Judith and I set off from the car park next to Llyn (lake) Mair and walked up a path which runs, for the most part, alongside the railway track, until we reached Dduallt station, where the track does a complete 360 degree loop. We waited there until the next train arrived and we watched the happy, waving passengers go by! (We were just like The Railway Children!! 😊)
We walked back the same way and, on the way, as a special treat for you steam train enthusiasts, I took a video of one of the trains passing by. 🚂 Note that the first two carriages are two of the first ever (and possibly last remaining) fixed wheel carriages built in the UK. At the time, the engineers were worried about the carriages toppling over on the narrow gauge. So, firstly, the carriages are very short (so that they could go around the bends – it was only later that bogies were added at either end to allow the carriages to be longer and the wheels to ‘turn’ independently) and secondly, the passengers sit with their backs in the centre facing directly outwards, (to keep the centre of gravity over the centre of the tracks). You live and learn. I hope you enjoy!
Footnote: All of these images were captured on 11th October 2021.
Well, you are in for a treat… I’ve just discovered that I didn’t post these images when Jude and I visited North Wales in September last year. I’m not sure what happened, nor why I forgot to post them, as they were all shrunk and watermarked ready… As you will see, they do sometimes have blue sky days in Wales! Enjoy!
Although I have posted some pictures before of the views from where we now live, I thought I’d kick off the start of this new chapter in my/our lives and this blog, with a few images taken from or around our house – to set the scene as it were. You should glean from the pictures below that the weather is quite a dominant feature here in North Wales.
All of these photos were taken sometime over the past 12 weeks.
Alittlebitoutoffocus 